Synagogue Michkenot Israël

Synagogue Michkenot Israël stands in the 19th arrondissement of Paris, on rue Jean-Nohain, in a neighbourhood that has been one of the city's key Jewish communities for over a century.

How did this synagogue come to be?

The story starts in the early 20th century, when Jews from Alsace and Central Europe began settling in the 19th arrondissement and the districts around it. In the 1930s they prayed together in the gymnasium of the Lucien-de-Hirsch school, having no dedicated prayer building of their own. After the war, in the 1950s and 60s, a new wave arrived: Jews from North Africa, for whom a Sephardic oratory was set up. The Ashkenazi community kept growing throughout the century, and by the early 1990s it was large enough to build its own synagogue. The building was inaugurated in 1993, giving around 300 local families a permanent place of worship.

Who designed the building?

The synagogue was designed by the architectural practice of Éric Dubosc and Marc Landowski. It stands out for its strongly modernist form — the structure is built in steel, an unusual choice for a Paris place of worship at the time. The result is a building that breaks sharply from the classic, stone-built 19th-century synagogues of the city and looks nothing like Paris's older Jewish temples. Its clean, geometric shape and metal facade make it read more like a contemporary cultural building than a traditional house of prayer, which is why architecture guides to Paris sometimes single it out.

Why does it matter to the neighbourhood?

The 19th arrondissement has absorbed several waves of Jewish migration over the decades — from Alsace, from Central Europe, from North Africa. Michkenot Israël is a direct product of that history: it exists because the Ashkenazi community, having grown across the 20th century, finally reached the size needed to build a purpose-made building rather than relying on borrowed halls or shared oratories. For the families living nearby, it remains an active centre of religious life, not a relic behind glass.

What should you know before visiting?

Michkenot Israël is a working Ashkenazi synagogue serving its local community — it is not a museum or a sightseeing attraction in the usual sense. Attending a service or viewing the interior usually requires contacting the community in advance and following the security procedures common to Paris synagogues, including showing identification and passing a check at the entrance. It is worth arranging a visit ahead of time rather than expecting to walk in off the street.

How do you get there?

The building sits in the 19th arrondissement, which is well connected to central Paris by metro and bus. The easiest approach is to take public transport and walk the last stretch to rue Jean-Nohain — the district lies in the north-eastern part of the city, not far from Parc de la Villette and other spots people combine with a walk through this part of Paris.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Synagogue Michkenot Israël located? On rue Jean-Nohain, in the 19th arrondissement of Paris.

When was the synagogue built? The building was inaugurated in 1993, though the Jewish presence in this part of Paris dates back to the early 20th century.

Can tourists visit the synagogue? It is an active place of worship for the local Ashkenazi community rather than a tourist attraction, so a visit is best arranged with the community in advance.

Who designed the building? Architects Éric Dubosc and Marc Landowski, who gave it its modernist, steel-framed structure.